Quantum Spatial is partnering with PrecisionHawk, a leader in the commercial drone industry, to acquire the NERR imagery. The research work plan requires high-resolution LiDAR and five-band multispectral imagery collection from a UAS at three sites – Rush Ranch in the San Francisco Bay NERR, California; Grand Bay NERR, Mississippi; and Jacque Cousteau NERR, New Jersey – covering a range of ecosystems. The collections will be conducted twice at Rush Ranch (once in late summer 2016 and again in early spring 2017); and once in Grand Bay and Jacque Cousteau. Acquisition is scheduled to begin this month.

PrecisionHawk’s Lancaster 5 fixed-wing aircraft will be used to collect data. The aircraft can accommodate various sensors and enables users to swap sensors in the field, providing a cost-effective way to support multisensor data collection. PrecisionHawk’s In-Flight software will provide flight planning and management during data acquisition. Data will be processed and analyzed using PrecisionHawk’s DataMapper post-processing and aerial analytics software along with QSI’s in-house LiDAR data processing tools.

“We are very excited to work with NOAA on its mission to support the stewardship of the United States estuarine ecosystems and the research on invasive species, habitat restoration, source pollution and resilient communities,” said Robert Hickey, general manager, Public Sector at Quantum Spatial. “NOAA is very forward thinking in deploying UAS technology to study and analyze the seasonal changes of these three NERRs.”

About PrecisionHawk, Inc.
PrecisionHawk is a terrestrial data acquisition and analysis company founded in 2010. The company provides a holistic platform using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) for data collection and analysis software tools to deliver better business intelligence to clients across a wide range of civilian industries.